Next Energy Technologies Turning Windows into Solar Panels

The next time you walk by an office building or are inside looking out, pay close attention to the windows. Chances are they’re heavily tinted to reduce computer glare and to absorb heat, helping the building to stay cooler. In fact, many windows block half the sunlight entering a room, reflecting the rest of the solar energy back into the world.

Four years ago, Daniel Emmett, an expert in energy efficiency and conservation with a background in commercial real estate, and Corey Hoven, a recent PhD graduate from the Materials Department at UCSB, teamed up with the simple yet groundbreaking idea to harness that extra power by turning windows into solar panels. They formed Next Energy Technologies, applied for federal grants, and settled into an office park behind Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, where 14 chemists and engineers have toiled to create an entirely new generation of solar technology.

Now, said Emmett and Hoven during a tour of their labs last Thursday, Next Energy is on the cusp of breaking into the market with a transparent solar cell ink that can be printed directly onto standard dual-pane windows. The challenge was finding a solution clear and cheap enough for architects and building owners to adopt. And it had to pass batteries of efficiency and durability tests. “It’s been a long road to get here,” said Emmett.